Bayern Munich claims German Cup

Jul 28, 2007 - 7:04 PM Special to PA SportsTicker

LEIPZIG, Germany (Ticker) -- Miroslav Klose's goal was enough to claim a 1-0 win for Bayern Munich over Schalke and clinch the German League Cup for the sixth time in their history.

Klose's first goal for his new club settled the final and secured what boss Ottmar Hitzfeld will be hoping is the first of many trophies this season.

Despite being ravaged by injury, Bayern were able to show their supremacy over long spells of a lacklustre game in Leipzig.

A full-strength Schalke side could find no answer to Klose's strike and became the latest side after Werder Bremen and Stuttgart to experience the potential of the Bundesliga favorites.

Hitzfeld was unable to name Franck Ribery or Bastian Schweinsteiger in his lineup after they joined Luca Toni in the treatment room.

Andreas Ottl and Christian Lell took their place in the starting XI, while Jose Ernesto Sosa deputised for the suspended Mark van Bommel.

After a scrappy opening half-hour the Bavarian outfit made the breakthrough and gained the vital upper hand. Klose taking advantage of a mix-up between Schalke defender Mladen Krstajic and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to stretch his leg and, at the second attempt, poke the ball into an unguarded net.

The opener seemed to rile Schalke, yet their physical response did nothing but result in a flurry of yellow cards. Mirko Slomka's side channelled their aggression into a more productive approach at the start of the second half but, despite the efforts of Kevin Kuranyi, were unable to find a way past the impressive Oliver Kahn.

Playing his last season as a professional goalkeeper, 38-year-old Kahn showed the agility of somebody 20 years his junior to flick a Kuranyi volley wide of the post.

The Royal Blues could only maintain their pressure for ten minutes before Bayern again took control of the game. Hamit Altintop, seeing more of the ball for Bayern than his twin brother Halil for Schalke, hit the crossbar after beating Neuer.

The Schalke defense continued to work hard in order to maintain the one-goal deficit and produced decisive blocks to prevent Martin Demichelis and Klose as Bayern looked to put the result beyond question.

But there was little doubt the cup would be going to Bayern and, after Philipp Lahm lifted his shot over the crossbar, the whistle went to bring an end to the first competitive fixture of the new season.